The Praetors of Rome
by Writingnerd291
Summary: A short story about Jason and Reyna before HoO begins, set in a darker AU world. The story of the Queen of Rome, and its Saving Grace; the story of the Titan War; the story of two teenagers forced to grow up far, far to quickly. Rated T for cursing and sexual implications.
1. Chapter 1

**I don't own Percy Jackson and the Olympians or Heroes of Olympus!**

* * *

Reyna Avila Ramírez-Arellano was the new praetor of the Twelfth Legion of Rome, but no one seemed to feel like celebrating. Which made sense, seeing as Praetor Valerie had been murdered –stabbed in the back twenty-three times –by a traitor within New Rome who apparently had a sense of irony ( **1** ). It had taken all of two days for the election to be concluded and for Reyna to be elected as the new Praetor.

The Second Cohort had cheered somberly for their Centurion, while the Third Cohort still mourned deeply for their fallen soldier. The First, Fourth, and Fifth all watched and beat their shields with their _gladii_ ( **2** ) when appropriate.

"We'll defeat the Titans soon," Praetor Marcus promised, "and then everything can return to normal."

Reyna nodded along, but the prior Centurion seemed a little overwhelmed. Her recently-donned toga was somewhat crooked and her Praetorian medal and cape were slightly off, but not one of the Legionnaires cared. She was their blood, their soldier, and their leader. After the brutal murder of her predecessor, the Legion was too somber, mourning too deeply, to care about their overwhelmed Praetor.

When the evening muster was over, Reyna took her new seat beside Praetor Marcus. The two purple-clad leaders watched their soldiers dine in silence. They too ate silently until the older Praetor spoke. "You'll be a great leader, Reyna."

The dark-haired girl with the obsidian eyes nodded. "Thank you, Praetor Marcus."

"Just Marcus, we're equals now."

She nodded. "Right, of course." They continued to eat in silence until the evening meal was over. At that point, Marcus told the Legionnaires to go to the barracks and get some rest. They would need it for the upcoming battles.

"Do you need me show you where your villa is?" Marcus asked.

"I think that I'll sleep in the barracks tonight. For the last time, I suppose." Reyna decided. She knew that the villa would probably be safer for her, but still... She wanted to spend one last night with her comrades-in-arms, just one more night as a regular -or as regular as a Centurion could be -soldier of the Legion. She thought it was too early for her to be Praetor. She had only been at Camp Jupiter for three years. Not nearly as long as some of the other, more qualified Centurions. Then again, she was the daughter of Bellona. Leadership positions, especially in times of war, came easily to the children of the fierce war goddess.

"It's weird, isn't it?" Marcus asked suddenly as they stood up. "You spend years living in one room and fighting beside certain people, but one day happens and then you're their leader." He mused aloud. "Sometimes I wonder…"

Reyna tilted her head. "Wonder what?"

The experienced Praetor shook his head. "Juno knows it's nothing. Get some rest, Reyna. Tomorrow I have to introduce you to the intricacies of paperwork. Then we'll get working on new strategies."

Reyna frowned at the reminder. Now that they knew that they had had a traitor, all of their battle strategies and tactics had to be redone so that they could still surprise the enemy. "Of course, Marcus. I'll meet you in the _principia_ after morning muster."

He nodded. "Sleep well, Reyna, among your friends and comrades. Tonight is your last night sleeping soundly as a regular legionnaire."

Reyna nodded and began to walk to the barracks of the Second Cohort. But as she approached the block of barracks, someone grabbed her arm. Remembering what had happened to Valerie and acting on her own battle instincts, Reyna quickly elbowed her attacker in the face and kicked them in the kneecap. In a second, she had her ceremonial _pugio_ in her hand and pressed to the attacker's neck. "Jupiter Almighty, Reyna!" The attacker cursed.

"Jason Grace?" Reyna asked cautiously as she moved her dagger away from his neck. "What are you doing?"

The blonde boy released her and clutched his knee in pain. "You didn't have to kick me, jeez." His blue eyes looked over at her, and a lazy grin spread across his face

"I thought that you were attacking me, Centurion." She scowled when she saw the expression across his face. "And stop looking at me like that."

He ignored her request, and instead tackled the trickier part of their conversation. "Rey, I would never attack you." He replied. "You should know that."

She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms in front of her chest. "You grabbed me from behind, Grace. How was I supposed to know who you were?"

He pouted. "I thought that you would recognize my touch."

Reyna scowled. "Now you think that we're lovers or something?" she asked. "I have work to do, Grace. Get out of my way."

"No. The Centurions decided that we have to protect you and Marcus. Julian from First is going to stay by Marcus' side."

"And you think that I'll let you stay by mine?" Reyna asked skeptically. "I hardly know you, Jason Grace."

He shook his head. "You know me, Reyna. And I know you. I know that you fight well but are trying to forget your past before Camp Jupiter. That's okay, we all are. I know that you obviously felt some kind of attraction to me when we fought the Trojan sea monster together, but you pulled away suddenly after Charleston. Why?"

"I don't need to explain myself to you, Jason." Reyna replied stiffly. "If I must have a 'bodyguard' then I want it to be Serena."

"No can do, she's in charge of the patrols around New Rome to protect the civilians." Jason replied. "And Gwen is good at calming people down. She's needed among the ranks."

"So they think that you're expendable?" Reyna asked after a moment of thinking about his reply. She tilted her head to the side and raised her eyebrows at him.

"No, I volunteered. Had to arm-wrestle Octavian for the job, by the way." Jason told her, as he –along with almost everyone else in camp –knew about her aversion to the legacy of Apollo.

Reyna shivered involuntarily. "Thank you, then. It seems that I owe you one, Centurion Grace."

Jason shrugged. "Kiss me and I'll call it even."

Before the blonde realized what the girl in front of him was doing, Reyna punched him in the jaw. "No way in Tartarus, Grace."

"Mars above, Reyna! I was joking, you didn't have to punch me, for Jupiter's sake!" Jason cried out.

Reyna stared at him levelly. "You never joke about matters like that, Grace. I know that you were serious."

He shrugged. "It doesn't matter, Reyna. Come on."

"Where are you going and why do you think that I'll follow you?" Reyna asked suspiciously.

The Centurion of the Fifth Cohort sighed. "We already went over this, Praetor Reyna. I'm protecting you. We're going to your villa, where you'll be safer. There's only two main entrances. Aurum can guard one, and I'll guard the other."

With an internal sigh, Reyna accepted the fact that Jason was right; it was safer for her to sleep in the villa than in the barracks. But that didn't mean she would have to like it. "And Argentum?"

"He'll stay with you and protect you while you sleep in case anyone or anything manages to get passed me and Aurum."

"I don't need this level of protection, Jason."

The son of Jupiter stared at her in disbelief. "Valerie was murdered in her sleep. Stabbed twenty-three times with a dagger until she finally died. There's no way in Tartarus that I'm letting you go to bed without fully knowing that I can protect you."

"Why do you care so much, Jason?" Reyna asked tiredly. "Why do you care what happens to me?"

"You're my Praetor, Reyna. It's my duty to protect you. But above that, I care about you as a person. I don't know if I could handle what would happen if you die."

"What do you mean?"

"The Legion would go into an uproar. They love you, even if they didn't show much of that love today. But just you wait until after the war. The legionnaires love you, as do the Lares and the citizens of New Rome. Besides, there might even be civil war over who to elect in your place. The Legion couldn't handle that right now. We need to be strong and united while we are facing Saturn and the Titans."

Reyna nodded slowly. "Okay, then. You can stay and protect me to the best of your abilities, Centurion Grace. I do not need it, but I will accept your help."

He nodded and smiled. "Finally. For a moment I thought that I would have to drug your or something."

Reyna stepped away from him. "What?" She asked in alarm.

Jason grimaced. "Joking, Reyna. Joking. I would never drug someone, especially not a girl as pretty as you."

She stared at him. "Really?"

Jason looked offended. "I may be a flirt, but I would never stoop so low as to drug a girl to get her to sleep with me." He said finally. After a moment, he grinned and added, "I don't need a drug. Just to ask and I'm sure girls would line up."

"Thank Bellona that Gwen keeps you out of trouble."

Jason shrugged again. "She can't keep me out of all trouble, just the big stuff."

"Jason Grace, you wouldn't." Reyna groaned.

"What? I'm passing on my legacy to future generations." He joked. When Reyna rolled her eyes and continued to look disgusted, he leaned down and whispered in her ear, "Don't worry, you'll still stand out from the others, Reyna."

Reyna felt her cheeks grow hot. "Stop it, Grace. If you're going to be doing this, then don't make things awkward."

"You're the only one who's awkward, Reyna. I'm fine."

She pinched her lips together into a tight line. "Jason Grace…" She warned.

"You sure keep repeating my name, Praetor." Jason remarked. "Kind of makes me want to hear you say it in a different setting."

"I won't hesitate to beat you to a bloody pulp, Centurion."

"You love me too much to do that, Rey."

"Do I?" Reyna challenged.

Jason smirked. "Yeah, you love me so much. Don't you, Reyna? Don't you love the blue of my eyes and the gold of my hair? And how deep and rough and _Roman_ my voice sounds?" He mocked her.

Reyna's eyes widened in horror. That was something she only thought in the back of her mind when they were in peace. Never had she thought that anyone would know, or even guess about the feelings she harbored for the son of Jupiter. "What?" She choked out. "Where did you hear that?"

He grinned. "The infirmary after the battle where you were injured. Some newbie gave you a bit too much nectar and painkillers. You were pretty loose-tongued in that state, Rey."

Reyna scowled, but didn't give the cocky son of Jupiter the satisfaction of reacting the way he thought that she would. Although, in her anger, she didn't question how Jason had head that. Had he visited her when she was in the infirmary? Instead, she tossed her braid behind her and continued to walk forward towards the Praetors' villas.

The villas were actually just one U-shaped building broken up into two L-shaped villas. Passed the wooden front gate was a green garden which acted as a courtyard for the villas. Reyna hesitated to open the wooden door of her own villa, but she finally forced herself to. It felt wrong to be in the villa. Valerie's things were still inside, even if they were perfectly organized. Reyna flicked on the lights, and then the two checked the villa for trespassers. As Reyna checked the kitchen, she found an empty mug of tea in the sink. Valerie must have had it before she went to sleep. The sleep from which she would never awaken.

Reyna checked the kitchen while Jason checked the bedroom. "Yell if anything happens." Jason had told her. "I'll be there in seconds."

The two demigods met up in the entryway, which also acted as a living room. "It's empty. But Valerie's things are in the bedroom. You might want to sleep on the couch tonight, and we can find you some new sheets tomorrow." Jason told her as he flopped onto one of the couches.

Reyna nodded. "Yeah, okay." Her attention turned to Aurum and Argentum, who were sitting by the door and stared at their owner in silence. "Are you going to get some sleep, Jason? You need it too."

"I'll be fine." Jason answered. "You need the rest more than I do."

"You need rest as well, Grace." Reyna retorted. She nodded her head at the other couch. "Get some sleep. Aurum and Argentum will wake us up if they notice anything." As she spoke, Argentum stood up from his position by the front door and approached Reyna. As the new Praetor lay down on the couch, the silver dog placed his head in front of her face. She scratched behind his ears, but still felt curious as to why the mechanical dog liked to have his ears scratched so much. It wasn't as if he was actually a living dog, after all.

Reyna tugged her cape around herself and fell asleep on her couch. She didn't bother taking off her armor or shoes, nor even her crooked toga. Instead, she wrapped her cape around herself and used it as a blanket. Out of the corner of her eye, Reyna noticed Jason watching her as she fell asleep. But then everything went dark as the newly elected Praetor of the Twelfth Legion of Rome fell into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading the first chapter! So, yes. Jason's character is totally different than in HoO, I know. I just thought that he might have a very different personality when he grew up as a Roman than he would when he was a 'Greek' amnesiac. Also, I took inspiration from Asteria daughter of Koios's version of Jason in her fanfic "'Radiens Domum' Returning Home (Mark of Athena)." This story will follow Jason and Reyna through the Titan war and afterwards up to Jason's disappearance. I may or may not continue it during the eight months Jason was gone, or perhaps after the two reunite in** _ **The Mark of Athena**_ **. In any case, thanks for reading, please review and tell me your thoughts!  
~Nerd**

 **1\. Julius Caesar was stabbed 23 times when he was assassinated by a bunch of the Roman Senators (there's a lot of names, and I didn't want to list them all. Look it up if you are interested).**

 **2\. the plural of _gladius_ , which is an infantry sword (think: stabby stabby weapon)**


	2. Chapter 2

**I don't own PJO or HoO!**

* * *

For two months, Jason Grace shadowed Reyna Avila Ramírez-Arellano wherever she went. He even stood outside of the Praetors' bath in the room conjoining the two villas whenever Reyna bathed. And when he looked inside to see if she was all right, he was usually –sometimes –enough of a gentleman not to take advantage of the situation to stare at her.

He followed her to the _principia_ and nodded to Centurion Julian Hamilton as they stayed alert for possible attackers or traitors. He went with her when she went to pray to her mother and went with her when she went to New Rome, or to the armory, or on a morning jog, or even to the training fields when she oversaw training sessions. And to be honest, Reyna was sick of it.

"You don't need to follow me around anymore, Grace." Reyna told him one day.

"Just doing my duty, Reyna. Don't make this harder by trying to get me to stop. Then I'd just have to hide and watch you from afar."

She growled at him in reply.

"Reyna, I'm only looking out for you. No one in the Legion thinks you're weak because of this. If anything, they think you're strong because you can put up with me all the time without blowing a fuse."

She frowned. "Jason…"  
"It's no secret that you hate me, Praetor Reyna."

"I don't hate you, Jason. You're simply not my favorite legionnaire."

"If I'm not above Octavian in your standings, then some serious shit is about to go down." Jason said seriously. "Even if he is my friend, I know that you hate the guy. I have got to be above him. I mean, look at how much taller and more popular I am."

Reyna rolled her eyes. "Watch your language, Centurion. We're in New Rome, and I don't want Terminus coming after you for using foul language." She reprimanded.

"Some serious muffins are about to go down?" He tried again.

Reyna smiled slightly. "That'll have to do, Centurion Grace."

* * *

Finally, it was time. Each legionnaire donned his or her armor and made sure that he or she had all of his or her weaponry. The legionnaires packed up their camp just miles from Mount Othrys, and gathered before their two Praetors. "First and Second Cohort will attack from the front!" Marcus announced to the Legion. "Third and Fifth will attack from the right, while Fourth will attack from the left alongside many of the veterans in New Rome! As you well know, the veterans from New Rome will fight alongside you, as well as Lupa's wolves!"

"Marcus and I will lead a small party to the top of Mount Othrys ahead of the rest of you!" Reyna added. "While you fight the majority of the monsters, we will take down Krios!"

Reyna felt the Legion's fear and their worry for the outcome of the battle to come. So she added her strength to theirs until she felt them relax. She saw the tension slip away until they looked ready to fight. Then, and only then, did she release her tattoo and stop feeding them willpower.

Together, the two Praetors faced their Legion. " _Senatus Populusque Romanus_!" (1) they shouted. The Legion repeated the phrase over and over until it was a loud shout. Then, the Legion marched. Six of the Centurions remained with their Cohorts, but four stood with their Praetors.

"Ready?" Marcus asked the small group of demigods. Jason Grace, Leila Evans, Julian Hamilton, and Morgan Kim nodded.

Reyna took a deep breath. " _Pro Romā pugnabimus_." (2) she told them.

They nodded and repeated the phrase. The group walked ahead of the marching Legion, and listened to the sound of the Legion's Barritus. It was a harsh, guttural sound which built sound the longer the Legion let it last. Even when monsters attacked the Legion, and when the first line locked their shields into place and began to attack with swords and spears, the Barritus did not die. Instead, if possible, the sound –so similar to that of a stampeding elephant –grew louder.

But the small party of six demigods rushed ahead of the Legion and broke through the weak points in the Titans' army. They did not pause or hesitate to kill, they simply swung their swords, stabbed their spears, and pierced their daggers before running on. Leila, Morgan, and Julian adopted defensive positions to cover their two Praetors and Jason Grace. "We'll watch your backs. No monsters will follow you in, I swear it." Julian vowed. They nodded. He cracked a grin. "Now go and destroy some ugly Titans for us."

The three nodded grimly. "It will be done." Reyna vowed.

She hefted her _pilum_ in her hand and followed Marcus into the place of the Titans. Jason Grace followed just behind her, and he held his _gladius_ in one hand and his shield in the other. The trio shredded and destroyed every monster they came across, until they reached the black throne. Marcus went in first.

With a yell, the son of Mercury and legacy of Discordia charged the Titan in black armor. With just a few blows, the Praetor of the Roman Legion fell to the ground with a muffled _thump_. "Marcus." Reyna gasped as she watched his body hit the ground. She struggled out of Jason's hold, yet was careful to remain silent. "Why did you stop me, you traitorous bastard?" she asked, her eyes alight with accusatory flame.

"I'm not a traitor, but aren't all demigods bastards if we take the literal sense of the word?" When Reyna didn't grin, he continued. "I couldn't let you go out and get yourself killed as well. I'll distract him, while you attack him from behind. Once he's dead, we'll destroy the throne." Jason planned.

"No, I'll distract him and you do the killing. I have a bone to pick with Krios, and I won't hide behind your shadow to kill him. I'm the Praetor here. I take the risks." Reyna's expression showed no room for argument, so Jason didn't.

"Okay, when you're ready." He said instead. If he couldn't change her mind, he might as well make sure that she didn't die. No way in Tartarus would he break his vow to her and to the Legion. He would protect Reyna Avila Ramírez-Arellano if it was the last thing he ever did.

Reyna charged the Titan with a yell, while Jason swung around and attacked from behind. "Krios!" Reyna shouted. "You murdered Marcus, son of Mercury! Atone for your crimes!"

"Little godling, I am not the one at fault. You and your little gods are. How pathetic your pantheon really is." The Titan of constellations sneered. "It's a shame, really. There's no honor to gain in killing a little girl."

Reyna jabbed the Titan with her spear, and caused golden ichor to flow from his wound. She attacked again and again and again and again, and then Jason made his move. He rushed the Titan and leaped onto his back. He jabbed his sword into the Titan's ribcage, and then rolled to the ground to avoid retaliation. "Is that it?" Reyna asked Jason in disbelief.

"No, not even close." Krios responded. The Titan rose to his feet and attacked. The pair of demigods rolled out of the way and continued their assault on the Titan. Finally, after Reyna had stabbed the Titan in the gut, Jason managed to climb onto the deity's shoulders and began to choke the Titan.

"Get out of here, Reyna! Get Marcus and see if he's alive!" Jason shouted. For once in her life, Reyna didn't argue with him. She merely nodded and rushed to the body of the fallen Praetor. She made eye contact with Jason one last time before dragging Marcus's body out of the room and towards the three waiting demigods.

"You've sent away your only help, godling." Krios mused. "You must feel guilty and want to die. I suppose that such a sentence could be arranged."

"The only one dying today," Jason managed to say as he attacked the Titan, "is you."

Krios laughed. "Little godling, how little you understand. I'm not going to die! I'll only reform in the pit before returning to the mortal world to one day resume the vengeance of my brothers."

Jason scowled. "Not in my lifetime you won't, bastard." Jason could almost imagine Reyna scolding him for swearing, but he wasn't in New Rome. He wasn't in the safety of home while joking around with the girl he had a crush on. No, he was fighting a Titan, one-on-one to the death. "I'm not dying, Krios. You are."

Finally, he recovered his sword and stabbed the Titan through the eye. For good measure, he cut off the Titan's head and watched as he faded into dust.

" _Veni, Vidi, Vici_." (3) Jason muttered. "And today, Rome has truly conquered."

Jason began to tear the throne to pieces, one stone at a time. He didn't know how long it took him to completely dismantle the throne, but he didn't stop until it was simply a pile of black rubble, and nothing but a distant memory. Or, more correctly, until it was nothing but a distant nightmare. He collected his sword and flipped it back into a golden coin. He retraced his steps and found the four standing alert while Marcus' body lay between them.

"It's done." Jason said as he approached. "Krios is dead, and I destroyed the throne."

Reyna relaxed and knelt by Marcus' side. "He's truly gone. There's nothing that even Leila could do." At the mention of her name, the daughter of Apollo grimaced and lowered her head. Julian placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, and then nodded to Jason. Realizing what the older boy meant, Jason knelt beside Reyna and placed his own hand on her shoulder.

"It's not yet the time for mourning the dead." Jason told her simply. "That will come after we are finished here today."

"He's young, Jason. Seventeen. Too young to die on the battlefield. We're all too young for this."

"Yeah. We are." Jason replied. He stood up and offered Reyna his hand. "Come on, Reyna. We have a war to finish."

* * *

 **Thanks for reading chapter 2! Pleas review and tell me your thoughts.**

 **~Nerd**

 **1\. The Senate and the People of Rome**

 **2\. We shall fight for Rome**

 **3\. I came, I saw, I conquered**


	3. Chapter 3

**I don't own PJO or HoO!**

* * *

After the ceremony, and the subsequent celebration, Reyna Avila Ramírez-Arellano showed Jason around the praetor's villas. "I'll show you the baths first." she determined.

Jason smirked at his fellow Praetor. "You're rather forward, Reyna." He said cockily. "Not that I'm complaining. There is something romantic for a first time when you're surrounded by steamy water and cold stone."

Reyna rolled her eyes at Jason Grace. "You're disgusting, as usual. But you also need a bath. Come on, follow me."

They walked through the gate leading into their shared garden, and then straight into the shared bath. The two Praetors took off their capes and armor before exchanging glances. "Do you want to bathe first, and I'll wait?" Jason asked awkwardly.

Reyna shrugged. "We share a bath now, Jason. Might as well get used to it."

"But –"

"We shared a bath as legionnaires and Centurions. Why is this any different?" Reyna asked.

"Because then we both had friends around us and the baths were crowded. These are silent and it's just us in here."

"You don't sound like your usual flirtatious self." Reyna remarked. "I hope that you're not losing your touch, Grace."

He grinned. "I could never lose my touch, Reyna." He replied. He turned and peeled off his T-shirt and jeans, along with his socks and shoes. He stayed turned around –butt naked –for a little while longer until he heard Reyna stepping into the water. After a few more moments, he turned around. Reyna was staring at the high, decorated ceiling of the room while he crossed the room and entered the practically scalding water. "Toasty." He commented.

"Yes." Reyna replied. "Very."

They talked awkwardly for a while. But everything stayed stiff and awkward until Jason splashed Reyna in the face with the hot water. She shrieked, and then splashed him back. Within seconds, the two were engaged in a water fight, and then they were actually fighting in the water. For those several minutes, the Praetors of New Rome acted like children.

Jason tugged Reyna underwater, and she later tackled him in retaliation. They played and laughed and acted like kids for almost twenty minutes before reality struck. "We have work to do." Reyna said finally. "We should start acting like it."

"Yeah." Jason agreed. He closed his eyes as Reyna got out of the bath and crossed the room. Once she said, "Okay, Grace." He opened his eyes. She tossed him a towel, which he used to cover himself and dry off before he changed back into his clothes.

When they were all done in the bath, the two Praetors walked back into the garden. Different kinds of vegetables and fruit trees grew in the garden alongside the decorative plants, possible in the event that, if Camp Jupiter was ever under siege, some legionnaires and the Praetors would still at least have some food to eat should they ever be forced to seek refuge in the villas. "Marcus's things are probably still inside. I've never been in there though, so I have no idea." Reyna told him. "Sleep well, Jason."

"Sleep well, Reyna."

(LINE BREAK)

In the morning, Reyna showed Jason how to fill out paperwork efficiently. She taught him all that Marcus taught her before his death. Together, the two Praetors rebuilt New Rome and Camp Jupiter after the devastating war with the Titans. They threw parties, attended galas filled with rich sponsors, drilled legionnaires, signed off on renovation projects, and overall acted like leaders. Even if they were only fifteen-year-old kids.

And despite the usual flirtatiousness of Jason Grace, the two routinely bathed together after a long day of Praetorian duties. They splashed each other in the bath, tackled each other into the scalding water, and even began to hold regular conversations with each other.

"This is kind of nice, isn't it?" Jason asked one day. They sat in the hot bath and let the scalding water wash over them. "Sitting here in the peace for once, I mean. Not having to get up at any moment because Octavian's done something, or because someone's fed Hannibal peanuts, or because some Lare is acting out of control."

"Yeah." Reyna agreed. "Though all of your talking is ruining the peace."

Jason let out a laugh. "Same sharp tongue and steel wit as always, Reyna." He remarked. He lifted his arms out of the water and laced his fingers together behind his neck. "Sometimes, I wonder why everyone loves you so much." He said suddenly.

"Excuse me?" Reyna asked.

"I mean, you're cold. You're strict. You bark orders and punish people who don't follow those orders immediately. Yet everyone loves you. You'd think that you're some kind of goddess, the way the legionnaires and citizens of New Rome treat you."

"How do you know I'm not, Jason?" She asked with a smirk.

Jason rolled his eyes. "We both know that you're not. But maybe it's because you hold us together. You're like a really strict mom. You're harsh and strict, but everyone knows how much you do for us and that you'd give up your life for everyone's safety if you had to."

"You wouldn't do those things?" Reyna asked suddenly.

"No, I would. But everyone knows that about me, too. They respect me for being the son of Jupiter and for defeating Krios. But they love you for how much you care about the Legion. No, not just the Legion. The individuals who make up the Legion…" Jason's voice trailed off as he stared up at the ceiling. "Never mind, I'm not sure where I was going with that."

Reyna waded closer in the bathwater. "Jason, you can talk to me." She told him. "Of everyone in this camp and all of New Rome, you can talk to me. Gods know that I understand. We're in this together, okay?"

"Okay. Yeah, thanks. I guess that I needed that, Rey."

Reyna wrinkled her nose. "Don't call me Rey, Grace."

"Oh, are you sure that you don't want to be called Rey Grace?" Jason asked cockily with a suggestive wag of his eyebrows. "But I do have to agree that Reyna Grace has a better ring to it than Rey Grace."

Reyna shoved him underwater. When he resurfaced, she frowned at him. "Don't joke like that, Jason."

"Who said I was joking, Reyna?" He asked carefully. Jason searched Reyna's features for a reaction.

Her only reaction was the slight widening of her eyes and the faint blush which rose in her cheeks. "What?" She asked mildly. "What did you say?"

Jason shook his head. "Never mind, Reyna." He yawned and stretched his arms. "We should get out soon." He commented.

After a few moments, Reyna nodded. "Yeah, we should."

The two got out of the scalding water and changed back into their jeans, T-shirts, armor, and purple capes. Then the two Praetors exited the bath together and looked around the garden for a while. The high wall and gate leading into the garden offered the Praetors' plenty of privacy as they stood awkwardly together. As per their unspoken agreement, the moment they were out of the bathhouse, their conversation turned to the dull topic of the proposed aqueduct project.

Neither mentioned the unforeseen turn their conversation in the bath had turned to, but both thought about it while they discussed the pros and cons of renovating the aqueduct systems. _He was just playing around_ , Reyna reminded herself. _That was just Jason Grace being his flirtatious self. Nothing to get worked up over._

 _No reaction._ Jason thought. _None. I dropped a bomb like marriage, and her expression didn't even change. Was I wrong? Does she not have those kinds of feelings towards me? The kind of feelings that…_

* * *

 **Hello! Thanks for reading this chapter, please review and tell me your thoughts. Have a fantastic day/night!  
~Nerd**


	4. Chapter 4

**I don't own PJO or HoO!**

* * *

Reyna Avila Ramírez-Arellano and Jason Grace sat side-by-side in the _Principia_ as they filled out boring paperwork. Between them sat a bowl of jellybeans, from which each Praetor would occasionally snag a few pieces of candy. "Ew." Reyna muttered as she swallowed.

"What?" Jason asked without looking up from the written complaint about the roads of New Rome which he read.

"I got a black licorice one. Nothing serious." Reyna replied with a faint grimace. Honestly, why did they continue to make black licorice jelly beans when no one actually liked them?

"Nothing serious?" Jason asked in mock horror as he set the pile of paperwork down in front of him. "Black licorice is disgusting! How are you not cringing right now?"

Reyna shrugged. "I never really cringe. You know that, Jason. I hardly react to most things, actually. They just don't get to me, I guess."

At this information, Jason's mind turned back to their odd conversation in the bath. How when he had casually said that he liked his last name attached to her first name, she hadn't reacted at all. _Could it just be that she didn't show her reaction? Or did she just really not care?_ He asked himself.

"What are you thinking about?" Reyna asked suddenly. When he shot her a look, she rolled her eyes. "You set your paperwork down, which usually means that you're in deep thought. So, what's the issue? Is it Octavian complaining again?"

"No, this time it's the 'Patriarch of the Augusts family,' which totally can't be a real surname. I bet they changed that to sound more Roman." Jason grumbled.

Reyna rolled her eyes. "Yeah, they're almost as bad as Octavian. If I didn't know them to be legacies of Ceres, I would suspect them to be Octavian's family."

Jason nodded. "They both complain the same amount, that's for sure. Why would we even need new roads in New Rome? They're ancient stone paths! They add character to the city!"

Reyna laughed. "That's just what we tell people, Jason. You and I both know that we do need new roads in New Rome."

"Where are we going to come up with the money for that, Reyna? We need additional ways of getting income for the Legion." Jason ran a hand through his short blond hair and sighed. He glanced over at Reyna, who was also deep in thought.

Reyna frowned. "Can you look into that? I'll settle some of your paperwork for today if you can come up with a good way to increase revenue by tonight."

Jason nodded at the deal, but then frowned. "That doesn't seem fair to you. You already have a lot of paperwork to fill out."

"I'll manage." Reyna replied. "Now go, and don't come back with another petition for Kool Aid from Dakota."

Jason laughed as he stood up and stretched. "That was one time, jeez. I'm going, I'll meet up with you tonight at the bath."

Reyna nodded. "I'll see you then, Praetor Grace."

Jason adjusted his cape and armor before walking out of the _Principia_. Reyna watched him go for a moment before she returned her attention to the paperwork which had to be done before the Senate meeting in two days' time.

Honestly, Reyna didn't quite care how long it took Jason to come up with a way to get more income. The only reason she had told him to leave was because he distracted Reyna from her work. Some weak, girly part of her just wanted to watch the tilt of Jason's head and to trace the lines of his shoulders and arms instead of focusing on the pieces of paper filled with complaints and legal terms.

"Ugh." Reyna sighed as she read yet another petition from Octavian. "There's no way I'm allowing an expedition to leave camp in search of _Graecus_ scum. Who does Octavian think he is, suggesting that?" Reyna muttered as she set Octavian's petition down on the long table in front of her. "Especially when he knows that we don't have the resources…"

* * *

Jason Grace almost felt bad for lying to Reyna, but he easily shrugged it off. He had only lied because she would think he was crazy if he told her where we was actually going. Jason walked through Camp Jupiter and then New Rome as he made his way towards Temple Hill. As always, he stopped at Bellona's temple and bowed his head to Reyna's mother. It never hurt to pray to the mother of the girl he had a crush on, after all.

Jason then walked towards his father's temple. The temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus was large, made almost entirely of marble, and was probably the fanciest and largest building in all of New Rome and Camp Jupiter. None dared to build a home or building bigger than Jupiter's temple, after all.

Inside, Octavian stood at the altar. "Jason Grace, to what do I owe the pleasure?" The pale augur said without turning around.

"How do you always know who's coming, Octavian?"

The legacy of Apollo turned to face him. "The auguries, Praetor Jason. They tell me everything I need to know, after all."

He nodded. "Right. Well, that's why I'm here. In our last conversation, you mentioned something in your auguries about me and Reyna. What was it?"

Octavian scowled. "I must have been wrong, Praetor Grace. At least, I hope that I was wrong."

Jason strode forward, and his purple cape billowed behind him. "What do you mean? What were you wrong about?"

Octavian scowled even deeper. "I'm never wrong, you know that, Jason. But, in my augury on the day of Juno's festival, I saw something disturbing about you."

"What was it?"

"I can't tell you your future, Jason." Octavian replied.

The blonde Praetor sighed. "If it's something bad for the Legion, you have to tell me. Hopefully Reyna and I can come to a solution that is safest for the city."

Octavian hesitated. "I… Jason, you're my friend. We've known each other since we were four, and have always gotten along pretty well. I know that I've started to drift away since last June, but… I don't want you to get hurt because of my augury. What if I'm wrong?"

"You're never wrong, Octavian. Whatever it is, I can deal with it. Please tell me, Octavian. I don't want to have to pull rank for this."

The augur sighed. "Jason... I don't know how to tell you this. You won't believe me. I know that you love Camp Jupiter and New Rome."

"Octavian, what do you mean? You're worrying me."

The pale augur finally looked Jason in the eyes. "I think that you're going to betray the Legion. I don't know why, and I don't know when. But... I saw you in a Greek temple, wearing orange and speaking Greek."

Jason's eyes widened. He took a moment to think it over before saying anything. "Thank you for telling me, Tavi." He ran a hand though his hair. "Hopefully that doesn't mean I betray us. I mean, I wasn't fighting against Rome in your vision, was I? There has to be a better explanation than treachery. Besides, auguries never come true the way that we think they will, right?"

Octavian nodded. "It's a burden, isn't it? Knowing the future. Try knowing everyone in Camp's futures, plus random people you don't even know."

"You can handle it, Octavian. Just a few more years, and then you can retire to New Rome."

Octavian laughed. "Have to thank my parents for that one, I guess. Enlisting me in Camp Jupiter when I was seven, I mean. I guess that it only means that I have two more years of service left. Then I can retire and go to college. Imagine the parties, Jason! Roman college parties."

Jason grinned. "Yeah, just think of those parties, Tavi." He looked out of the temple and down at New Rome. "I should probably get back soon."

"When you meet Reyna, tell her that you should put a revenue-increasing tariff on all imported goods to New Rome. Just a small percent, but it'll increase revenue by quite a lot." Jason stared at him for a moment.

"How did you?"

"Augur, Jason. I know everything. Oh, and a first time in the bath isn't as good of an idea as you think it is. If you somehow change your future and don't betray the Legion, don't use the bath the first time. Reyna won't like it."

Jason blanched. "Dude! Stop looking at the future of Reyna's and my love life!"

"I'm looking for possible dangers to the two of you. That can count." He replied with a grin. "Now get going, Reyna's almost done with the paperwork in the _Principia_. Give her one of the purple flowers in the Praetorian garden when she walks through the gate."

"Stop it, Octavian! I don't want you looking into my love life!" Jason rolled his eyes at Octavian and then jogged down the hill towards Camp Jupiter.

As he neared the villas, which had once been one villa, but was now two mostly separate villas, Jason stooped to pick one of the purple flowers. Octavian was never wrong, after all. The Praetorian villas were nowhere near as big as the villas in New Rome, where legionnaires who had grandparents or someone who had served the Legion and had accumulated a lot of wealth lived with their families. Still, the villa which Jason could call his own was much larger and nicer than the space he had called his own back in the barracks.

Before entering the bath which the two villas shared, Jason went into his bedroom and removed his armor and cape. He grabbed a few towels from the cabinet, as he remembered that they were out of clean towels in the bath. Then, he went into the steamy room.

The bath water was scalding, but somehow the stone walls and floor were always cool to the touch. The floor was made of a simple brown tile, while the walls were a lighter color tile and had many white marble columns along them to help support the roof. The ceiling of the bath was the most amazing part of the villas, in Jason's opinion. The ceiling was a tile mosaic featuring the golden letters "SPQR" surrounded by a golden laurel wreath with pictures of the scenery of Camp Jupiter and New Rome encircling the central feature.

When Jason walked into the room, he immediately noticed Reyna. The dark-haired Praetor was taking off her golden armor when she noticed him. "How did it go?" she asked.

"Good. I have an idea which I think you'll like." He replied as he thought of Octavian's idea.

"Your own idea?" Reyna asked as she raised one of her eyebrows.

"I might have gotten some help coming up with it." Jason replied with a smirk. He strode towards her and helped her lift the last of her heavy armor off of her shoulders.

"Thanks."

"Need help with the rest?"

Reyna flushed, and then glared at him. "You're disgusting, sometimes." She told him. He grinned at her, and then remembered the flower tucked into his belt loop. He pulled it out and handed the flower to Reyna.

"Here, sorry for being disgusting."

She took it from his hand and watched him carefully. Then, she nodded and placed the flower on top of her armor. "Let's hear this idea of yours, Grace." She said as she turned and finished pulling off her clothes. Jason immediately closed his eyes and waited to open them until he heard Reyna submerge in the water.

"We should put a revenue-raising tariff on goods imported into New Rome. Just a small percent, like 3%. Not a lot per individual good, but it'll build up over time." Jason replied as he took off his own clothes and then joined Reyna in the bath.

"Is that really your idea? It seems a little too sophisticated for you."

He growled playfully. "Is that so, Reyna? It seems that you have much too low of an opinion of me." He waded through the hot water towards her.

She laughed. "What do you intend to do about that, Jason Grace?" she asked. Her dark eyes seemed to entrance him as he looked deeper and deeper into them.

Jason found himself inching towards her, closer than he'd even been to her in the baths –unless they were joking around and tackling each other in the water. His hands seemed to move of their own accord towards the long braid of dark hair which fell down her side. He pulled the band out, and her hair slowly came tumbling out of the braid. Reyna watched him curiously, but didn't move to stop him as he inched ever-closer towards her.

Then, she inched back slightly. He followed, keeping the distance between them only a few inches. She didn't look afraid, which was probably a good sign. They inched backwards until Reyna's back was just centimeters from the wall.

Jason leaned forward and down, and pressed his mouth to hers. His motion caused Reyna's back to hit the cold stone wall. She gasped, but Jason wasn't sure if that was just the shock of cold stone against her body or because he had kissed her.

Jason pulled back after only a few seconds, and the two Praetors made eye contact. When Reyna made no move to stop him or push him away, he leant down again and kissed her. This time, it was a harder kiss. His right hand found its way to Reyna's hip, and his left curled into her now loose hair. Reyna's arms wrapped around his neck as she tugged his head down to kiss him at a better angle.

When he finally pulled away from her mouth, he rested his chin on top of her head. "Is this okay?" he asked her quietly.

"Yeah, it is." Reyna replied just as softly.

* * *

 **So they finally kiss! And it's sort of an underwater kiss, but not really. In any case, please review and tell me your thoughts!**

 **~Nerd**


	5. Chapter 5

**I don't own PJO or HoO!**

* * *

From that point on, the dynamic between the two Praetors changed. Jason Grace no longer flirted with every girl he saw. In return, Reyna Avila Ramírez-Arellano greeted Jason Grace in a somewhat different way. Instead of her usual, "Good Morning, Grace," she now said, "Morning, Jason," with a faint smile tugging across her lips.

Reyna bent over the piles of paperwork full of propositions, petitions, grants, pleas, and any other kind of boring legal work. Beside her, Jason yawned and tugged on her braid. "How much paperwork can they give us? Honestly, they must work around the clock to fill it all out to complain to us…" Reyna shrugged, rolled her eyes, and returned her attention to the official pieces of paper. After another few minutes, Jason spoke again. "Reyna…"

"Yes?" she asked. But he didn't reply.

"Reyna…"

This continued for several minutes, until she finally slammed the stack of papers back onto the table in front of her. "What in the name of the immortal gods do you want, Jason Grace?" she shouted.

He smirked at her. "You." He replied simply.

Reyna felt her cheeks grow hot at the statement. "Whoa there, Jupiter-spawn. Hold your horses."

He grinned. "We don't have horses, Rey. Only for officers once they've earned them."

"We have one pegasus in our stables. That's it."

"Exactly. There aren't any horses for me to hold to distract me from you." Reyna handed him a large stack of the papers in front of her.

"Hold onto these instead. And try to do your job for once, Grace."

"I'm a war leader, Reyna. Not some desk boy. I should be out leading the Legion through training drills. Not answering to these stupid petitions about roads and aqueducts and bakeries."

"Suck it up, Jason. Don't whine or complain about anything." Reyna reiterated one of Lupa's favorite sayings.

"Decide on what you want and fight for it to your last breath." Jason countered. His voice cut sharply through the quiet atmosphere of the _Principia_. Reyna merely stared at him as he inched closer to her. "A man who doesn't fight for what he wants deserves what he gets." (1) Jason said as he moved ever closer.

"Lupa didn't say that one." Reyna countered as she leaned in towards him.

"They've got the same idea." Jason replied. Then, he closed the last few inches between them. It started out softly and slowly in the two's gentlest kiss yet. Reyna pulled away slowly, and she savored the memory of kissing Jason Grace.

"We should get back to work." Reyna said after a moment.

Jason stared at the stacks of paperwork in front of them. "Yeah, we ought to get back to work." Reyna nodded and began to read the page on top of the stack. "But that doesn't mean we have to." Jason finished.

Reyna shook her head. "Later, Jason. We have to finish most of this today. The Senate meeting is in two days, and they'll want to discuss all of these things. If we're unprepared, people might think that we're incapable of leading the Legion in times of peace."

"You mean Octavian, don't you?" Reyna didn't reply, which gave the son of Jupiter his answer. "Octavian is my friend, Reyna. He would never do something like that."

"He wants your job, Jason. He'll do whatever it takes to get it."

"He's Octavian, and the auger. Not a snake. Not a filthy _Graecus_." Jason defended his friend.

"He may not stab you in the back, Jason. But he's definitely tried to get to me."

"How do you mean?"

"His prophecies. They're fakes. He always tells me that he predicts me leading Rome to her downfall, and that the Legion would be safer under his command instead. He wants me to step down and to name him dictator of the Legion."

"You couldn't do that anyways. We're not in a state of war." Jason replied. "And Octavian's prophecies are always right."

"Even though I've never seen him consult the auguries about that particular 'prophecy' of his?"

"Octavian predicted me and you getting together." Jason said before he could help it. Truly, according to the legacy of Apollo, he had foreseen their relationship in the auguries. "That's not a bad thing."

"Go ask him for yourself, Grace." Reyna scoffed. "Octavian has only predicted bad things since he became Augur. In every prophecy of his, a good legionnaire has died. I don't trust that slimy weasel."

"He's not a weasel!" Jason shouted. "And maybe I will go find him."

"Good riddance." Reyna replied. It seemed unbelievable to him that he had just enjoyed kissing the girl beside him. Jason stood from his chair and stormed out of the _Principia_. He stormed all the way to Temple Hill and into his father's temple. As usual, Octavian stood below the statue of Jupiter Optimus Maximus as he consulted the auguries.

"Hello, Jason. Trouble in 'Reynadise'?"

"How do you always know this stuff, Tavi? It's kind of creepy."

Octavian turned and grinned wickedly at his friend. "You probably don't want to know, Grace."

Jason smiled, and then sighed. "What's this I hear about you threatening Reyna?" He asked. "Is it just dumb rumors? Or are you up to something?"

Octavian sighed. "So your _Regina Romae_ told you, huh?" Octavian asked (2). "Well, it was only a matter of time. It's true. I think that she's unfit to lead the Legion. I saw her breaking our laws and leading us to what I believe to be our downfall."

"Which was?"

"I'm not sure yet, but it gave me a terrible sense of foreboding. You can't forget the fact that I saw her crossing the Atlantic and _Mare Nostrum_. That's a capital crime, Jason."

"Reyna would never do that." Jason argued.

Octavian frowned. "She will…" He set the knife and stuffed bear down and sat at the base of the statue. Jason sat beside him. "I only see the terrors of the future. Never the good things. Why?"

"That's not true, Octavian. You foresaw me and Reyna, right? That is a good thing." Jason reminded him as he thought of this dark-haired co-Praetor.

Octavian, however, laughed bitterly. "I didn't see that, Jason." He replied. "I made it up." The blonde shook his head. "I made it up so that you would finally ask her out. I knew that you were too much of a coward to ask her out without confidence that it would work out well between the two of you."

Jason stared at him in shock. "You lied to me?"

"Yes. You would have done your usual play-boy routine on Reyna, which would have ruined your working relationship. Setting the two of you up to fall in love with each other was the better option, given the alternative."

"You lied to me?" Jason repeated.

"Yes! I lied. In reality, I saw you breaking Reyna's spirit and heart, and her crushing your throat beneath her boots. Regulation boots polished to perfection, by the way."

"What?" He took a deep breath in an attempt to calm himself down. Unfortunately, it didn't work. "You're a cowardly snake, Octavian." Jason spat. "Lie with the crows."

The blonde son of Jupiter stormed away from his problems once more, and he traveled to one of the only places in all of Camp Jupiter and New Rome where he felt at home. The baths. However, not wanting to run into anyone, he went to his villa to bathe alone. Reyna would still be in the _Principia_ , so he could be alone for a while. All alone in the steam with only his thoughts for company.

* * *

That night, Jason couldn't fall asleep. It was winter, so it was fairly cold. Of course, the weather in California was nothing like the weather in other places. Places like Chicago or New York, for example. Still, it was warm enough that Jason exited his villa and lay down on the grass of the garden between his and Reyna's villas.

"What are you doing awake, Jason?" Reyna asked as she lay beside him about half of an hour later.

"I can't sleep. I have this odd sense of foreboding."

Reyna nodded, and rested her head against his shoulder. "Yeah, me too. Do you think it has something to do with Saturn? Is he not truly dead?"

"I don't know. All I know is that the gods told us that Saturn was killed when we toppled the throne and killed Krios."

"That doesn't seem likely." Reyna said. "That merely toppling his throne killed the king of the Titans." Reyna sighed and stared up at the stars. "What's your favorite constellation?"

Jason pointed up at Orion's belt. He figured that it once would have been easy to make out the figure of Orion in the stars, but now it was only easy to spot the hero's belt in the stars due to all of the light pollution. "Yours?"

Reyna pointed farther away to a constellation Jason hadn't really paid much attention to. "That one. I noticed it when I was twelve, just before I got to Camp Jupiter. I'm not sure what it's really called, but I call it The Huntress. Looks like she's aiming her bow at something, yeah?"

Jason nodded. "Yeah." The two teenagers shifted around to find a comfortable spot, until they settled into a rather intimate position. Jason wrapped his arm around Reyna's waist, while the brunette settled her head on his chest. The two stared up at the stars together until they noticed something unusual. "Was that a shooting star?" Jason asked after a moment.

"Yeah, I think so."

"Make a wish, Reyna."

She laughed quietly. "I don't need wishes, Jason. I have everything I want and need here in New Rome and Camp Jupiter."

He blew a raspberry on her temple. "That's boring, Reyna."

"Well then, O Mighty Wishmaker," Reyna joked, "what do you wish for?"

Jason winked at her. "If I tell you, it won't come true." Reyna rolled her eyes at him. "But if you guess…" (3)

Slowly, Reyna tilted her head towards him and kissed him. "Am I right?" she asked as she pulled away.

"Almost." Jason replied. He shifted them again so that Reyna was on her back while he was on top of her. He moved his head down to kiss her, and hardly contained his groan when Reyna wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back just as feverishly.

Jason wasn't sure how much time passed before she pulled away from him. "We should stop." Reyna panted out. "We're sixteen. Law says we have to wait until we're eighteen."

"You would know the details of the laws, Reyna." Jason teased. Still, he got off of her and lay beside her once again. Slowly, the two stood up. When Reyna hesitated to walk towards her villa, Jason asked her a simple question. "You okay?"

She sighed. "I don't want to be alone tonight, Jason."

He nodded. "Come on, my villa has enough space." He led the way into his villa. As usual when he entered the traditional atrium, he was struck by a few things. First was the ceremonial hearth in the middle of the far wall. Second were the SPQR banners hanging on the walls. Third was his dirty T-shirt from the day before.

To her credit, Reyna acted as though it wasn't there. She sidestepped the shirt and followed him into his bedroom. Since it was late, the two were already in their pajamas. Jason flopped onto his bed first, and Reyna crawled in beside him.

"You sure that you're okay?" he asked.

"I just have a bad feeling. I didn't want to be alone tonight." He considered mentioning her two metal dogs, but decided against it. One of the rules of having a pretty girl in your bed was not asking her if she was sure that she wanted to be there.

The two fell asleep in each other's arms. At around three in the morning, Jason got up to use the bathroom. Reyna was sound asleep.

The son of Jupiter never returned.

* * *

 **This is the final chapter of "The Praetors of Rome"! But very soon, I'll be posting the sequel called "A Tale of Two Praetors" which will follow Reyna and Jason in an AU Heroes of Olympus. Please review and tell me your thoughs!  
~Nerd**

 **1\. Captain Hook says this in** _ **Once Upon a Time**_ **. It's a pretty good TV show. Check it out if you want to.**

 _ **2\. Regina Romae**_ **means 'Queen of Rome' in Latin**

 **3\. This line was inspired by Wally West (Kid Flash) talking with Miss Martian on his birthday in** _ **Young Justice**_ **(which is also a good show, if you were wondering).**


	6. AN

**A/N: Hey guys! This story is completed, but I have a sequel called "Vincere Aut Mori" which now has the first two chapters posted. If you liked this story and want to see how MoA unfolds, please check it out!**

 **~Nerd**


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